title: Phenylalanine catabolism in Archaeoglobus fulgidus VC-16.
abstract: Evidence is presented for a pathway of phenylalanine catabolism in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus involving the following enzymes-phenylalanine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, phenyllactate dehydrogenase, radical iron-sulphur 3-phenyllactyl-CoA dehydratase, phenylpropionyl-CoA dehydrogenase, aryl pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase and family III CoA-transferase. Hitherto amino acid degradation pathways involving radical iron-sulphur dehydratases have been characterised only in mesophilic clostridia and related bacteria. The difference here is that the pathway is not fermentative but coupled to sulphate reduction. Initial experiments also show the utilisation of tryptophan as a growth substrate and the decarboxylation of caffeate by cell extracts, suggesting the potential to catabolise different classes of aromatic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für terrestrische Mikrobiologie, 35043, Marburg, Germany, anuttham@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Anutthaman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parthasarathy
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kahnt
authors.forename: Nilanjan Pal
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buckel
mesh_terms: D019611:Archaeoglobus fulgidus / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D013431:Sulfates; D010649:Phenylalanine